Leæther Strip
Category: Industrial
Album: Retention No3
Stars: 3.5
Blurb: Larsen revisits one of his greatest albums in the third edition of this near yearly anthology.

Having already revisited The Pleasure of Penetration and Science for the Satanic Citizen in the first two volumes of Retention, Larsen now turns his attention to one of his most iconic works, Solitary Confinement. Rather than doing a simple re-release of his discography, with the Retention series, Larsen is methodically remastering his old works and releasing them in two album sets with the second disc providing a complete reimagining of many of the classic tracks, adapted to Larsen’s more recent musical style but largely retaining the soul of the original.

Originally released in the U.S. by Cleopatra Records in 1993, Solitary Confinement is an absolute must-own for any self-respecting fan of dark industrial music. The first disc of Retention No3 is a remastered version of this classic bundled with the EP, Material. Offering a full taste of Leæther Strip’s work of the time, the music is grim and oozing with atmosphere. While a bit sample-heavy, Larsen shows a superb flair for using this tool to punctuate his work and build ambiance with it. Classic tracks like “Adrenalin Rush,” “Strap Me Down,” and “Nothing Seen Nothing Done” with their sweeping synth lines, piercing vocals, driving beat show off some of the best work of Larsen’s career.

The second bonus disc, titled Voluntary Confinement, provides Larsen’s remakes and reimaginings of his old work, incorporating more recent tools and structure. Unfortunately, unlike the second discs of the preveious Retention volumes, Voluntary Confinement comes across as a bit weak. The early medley of “Evil Speaks” and “Fit for Flogging” comes across as far too cheesy, and is followed up by a far bouncier version of “Steal,” which combined offer an early sour note. From there, the remakes of tracks such as “Adrenalin Rush” and “Crash Flight 232” feel more like minor restructurings than reimaginings. Also a bit of a shock is the Tæknopøp version of “Strap Me Down,” which, as the name suggests, is an exceptionally poppy and saccharine track that feels very much the antithesis of Leaether Strip’s body of work.

In the end, the value of Retention No3 will vary for those who do and do not already have the original album. For those who don’t already own Solitary Confinement, Retention No3 absolutely should not be missed, but unlike its predecessors, this volume’s extra disc doesn’t quite provide as strong as an extra offering. Those who do already own Solitary Confinement will likely find the additional content to be lacking and will likely feel the reimagined tracks to be inferior versions of songs they have learned to love throughout the years.

Track list:Disc 1

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Disc 2

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